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Pork Chops with Rosemary, Apple and Balsamic Glazed Shallots paleo dinner recipe lunch primal pastured-min

Recipe: Pork Chops with Rosemary, Apple and Balsamic Glazed Shallots

Classic combinations really do work best, so it’s no wonder that the tried and tested combination of pork, rosemary and apple is a marriage made in heaven in this dish. Combined with the sweetness and tang of the balsamic shallots, this pork Chops recipe makes a fail safe supper for all the family. Great with sweet potato wedges or other root vegetables when it’s a little colder outside.

Pork Chops Ingredients:

  • 4 higher welfare, pastured pork chops
  • Olive oil
  • 4 – 6 medium shallots, sliced roughly
  • 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
  • 1 tbsp coconut sugar
  • 1 small red apple, cut into wedges
  • 1 tsp fresh rosemary

Pork Chops How To:

Season the pork chops with black pepper and sea salt

Heat 1 tbsp of olive oil in a pan over a low heat. Add the shallots, and cook gently for around 5 minutes until soft. Add the balsamic vinegar and coconut sugar, and toss to coat the shallots. Continue to cook gently for a further 5 minutes, stirring often so they do not burn.

Meanwhile, heat another tbsp of olive oil in a separate frying pan to a high heat. Drop in the pork chops, and cook for 3 – 4 minutes each side.

Season the shallots with a little sea salt, and then add the rosemary to the pan.

Remove the pork from the heat, and separate on to serving plates. Garnish with the apple slices and the shallots on the side.

Pork Chops with Rosemary, Apple and Balsamic Glazed Shallots paleo dinner recipe lunch primal pastured-min

what to do with left-over herb stems basil rosemary waste produce ideas paleo diet

6 things to do with left over herb stems

When a recipe calls for a few fresh basil leaves, a bit or parsley or oregano, what do you do with the stems that get left behind?

If you've been throwing them away – STOP!

Use them whole

For big stems like rosemary, try adding them whole to sauces and soups, then removing them whole before serving.

what to do with left-over herb stems basil rosemary waste produce ideas paleo diet

Make a veggie broth

Keep a bag in the freezer and add stems as you use them. When the bag is full, it's time to make veggie stock!

Use them as herbs

In the conventional way – chop them up really finely and add them to your recipe

Use them as kebab skewers

This one takes a bit more preparation, but it you have big herb plats like rosemary, save the long stems. Wash them thoroughly, then freeze them. Use them frozen in the place of a wooden or metal skewer to have deliciously rosemary infused meat and veggies on your next barbecue!

Make herb infused olive oil

Simply add the stems in an air-tight contained with some olive oil and leave for a few days. Next time you use the oil, it will have a delicious herb-infused flavour.

Stuff with them

When you stuff a bird or fish, use the left-over herb stems. Remove before serving and the herbs will have infused into the meat/ fish perfectly.

Recipe Grain-Free Crackers Potato Rosemary Dehydrator Paleo Network

Recipe: Grain-Free Crackers

One thing I've really missed from my pre-paleo days is the humble cracker. They're just the perfect thing to go with cheese, hummus, all sorts of dips.

Recipe Grain-Free Crackers Potato Rosemary Paleo Network

But with fairly typical cracker ingredients looking like this:

Wheat Flour, Vegetable Oil, Salt, Malt Extract, Yeast Raising Agent (E336, E500), Emulsifier (E322:Soy), Milk Solids

That's a high price to pay for a vessel for a bit of cheese….

So I've been experimenting with my dehydrator, and have come up with these paleo crackers. Yes, the main ingredient is white potato. But these would work just as well with sweet potato or parsnip. Give it a try and let me know how it turns out!

Recipe: Grain-Free Crackers
Recipe type: Snacks
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
A simple grain-free alternative to shop-bought crackers.
Ingredients
  • 1 large potato, peeled and diced
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 teaspoons rosemary
  • sea salt &black pepper
Instructions
  1. Boil the potatoes as you would to make mashed potatoes (this helps to breakdown the starch)
  2. Drain, and mash in with the olive oil
  3. Add in the rosemary and season.
  4. Spoon a spoonful of the mixture onto a dehydrator sheet and use the back of the spoon to shape into whatever cracker shape and size you prefer.
  5. I dehydrated for about 16 hours on 145 degrees - but please check regularly and adjust accordingly!
  6. You an also make these in an oven if you don't have a dehydrator (but please research times and temperatures carefully!)

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Recipe Grain-Free Crackers Potato Rosemary Dehydrator Paleo Network-min (1)

Recipe Grain-Free Crackers Potato Rosemary Dehydrator Paleo Network 2-min

Grain-Free Cracker Balls

In my experimentation to make the perfect grain-free cracker, I came up with these cracker-balls, which if I do say so myself, are delicious!

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I used white potatoes and sweet potatoes, but I think you could easily use parsnips or even pumpkin or squash. The key is in the dehydration to give the crunchy end result. If you don’t have a dehydrator, you can use your oven on a low heat instead (though I've not tested this method). If you’re keen to try a dehydrator (and I highly recommend them), you can go really cheap like this one, or go all out on an Excalibur like this. There are so many ways to use them.

Grain-Free Cracker Balls
Recipe type: Snacks
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
These grain-free crackers use potatoes as a base ingredient and thanks to the dehydration, have that satisfying cracker-crunch!
Ingredients
  • 2 large white potatoes, peeled and diced
  • 3 sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
  • 1 cup olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons rosemary
  • sea salt to taste
Instructions
  1. Boil the potatoes in two separate saucepans, as you would if you were making mash
  2. Drain the saucepans and add in half the oil to each
  3. Mash the potatoes and mix in the rosemary, then season.
  4. Once cool enough, roll the mixture into small balls of about 1cm diameter.
  5. Arrange the balls on dehydrator sheets alternatively and "press" them into each other, to ensure they stick together.
  6. Dehydrate at 145 degrees for about 18 hours (but this will depend on the thickness of your crackers, so please check and adjust accordingly!

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